


In The Garden

by NervousOtaku (orphan_account)



Series: Tales of a 144 Player Fansession! [22]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/F, Reflection, SBURB Fan Session, Underage Smoking, kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-24
Updated: 2017-03-24
Packaged: 2018-10-10 05:40:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10430325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/NervousOtaku
Summary: Or: It Was Only A Year Ago That We'd Been Kids Ready To Go To College, But It Feels Like Centuries With These Bodies Piling Up





	

Mona sighed, feeling the smoke push past her lips.

Laura would have her head if she was caught smoking. But it helped ease the ache a bit. Made that smell that had followed her uncle around, helped force it to linger and dull the pain in her chest.

They'd been playing the game for close to a year now.

It was so hard to believe. Only a year.

It felt like so much _longer_.

Mona took the cigarette back between her teeth. Everyone was taking it well enough. Even the volatile characters were surprisingly calm as the first anniversary of the game drew near.

She wondered if anyone was planning on doing anything to mark the occasion.

She certainly wasn't.

The Seer of Heart was currently sprawled on one of the many rolling green hills of LORAN. A few of her dopey sheep-consorts had cuddled up around her to nap, snorting softly in their sleep. It was very soft and very warm, almost soothing.

Only a year.

Mona had been planning on double-majoring in philosophy and political sciences, with a minor in art. The college she'd been looking at had been cheap, small, and rundown, but offered all of the exact courses she had wanted. The residence halls had been small and rather crummy, so she would've most likely gotten a job and a roommate to help pay for a nearby apartment or the like. Her uncle had said that if she kept her grades up and her nose clean, he'd cover her tuition. She still had all the letters and forms in her desk back at the house.

A year ago, she'd been a month away from going to college.

A year ago, her uncle had still been alive.

A year ago, Mona had just been Mona, not a Hero of Heart.

A year ago, she could say with some confidence that _none_ of them had _ever_ buried a human body before.

But now a _frightening_ number of them had even buried _themselves_ , sometimes more than once.

Mona didn't know about the others, but she had buried her uncle and her two dead split selves in the garden outside her house. When they won and created a new universe, she intended to bring this house with her. She'd probably need a Space-player to help with that, but it was non-negotiable. The house had been _brought_ here with it's lawn and garden, it would _leave_ here with it's lawn and garden.

“Laura will kill you if she catches you smoking.”

“That's the operative wording, _if_ she does.” Mona replied as Nora appeared over her.

The Witch of Time slowly sat down, legs crossed, above her head.

“It's been almost a year now.”

“That short?” Nora replied, looking off into the distance.

“How long has it been for you?” Mona asked as another sheep wandered over and crawled into the Witch's lap.

“That's the funny thing about it. I'm no longer sure. I bet Caitlin or Ben could give me an exact number down to the second, but I change time to suit my needs. In a way, it loses meaning for me, and becomes even more abstract than it was before.”

Pygmalion and Carl had buried the most bodies initially, having both lived in a mental institution. The same one, coincidentally, just different parts. But that had meant patients, doctors, guards, visitors... On Pygmalion's end, the transition had been rough, and on Carl's the underlings ruthless. Only one security guard had made it out alive— if you could call it that— and that was the man who had become Securitysprite for Pygmalion.

The most bodies buried that were ‘related’ to the player went to Nora, who had to bury both her parents, her grandparent, and three siblings.

The number of the most bodies buried went to Britt, whose doomed selves were always returning to the alpha with helpful things and then offering assistance until they keeled over.

Fewest bodies went to Tiponi, who had yet to bury _anything_. Lucky bitch.

Mona sighed, exhaling more smoke. Nora crinkled her nose at her.

“Your teeth are gonna be so _gross_.” the Witch said.

“I'll suffer.”

“I'm not kissing you if you taste like cancer. Can you suffer _that?_ ”

Mona thought carefully.

“... I'll just kiss you instead.” she finally replied.

Nora snorted, rolling her eyes. Mona noticed that she was petting the sheep in her lap, and another had started drooling on her knee.

“... It seems so long ago.” she admitted.

“What does?”

“That I was planning to go to college.”

Nora was quiet. Mona was too.

After a moment, the Witch plucked the cigarette from the Seer's lips and crushed it against the sole of her shoe.

“Hey—”

Several sheep took off in surprise, bleating loudly, as Nora pulled her up and leaned down, pressing their lips together. Mona froze, not expecting the kiss, especially after the talk they _just_ had.

It only lasted a few seconds before Nora was pulling away, making a disgusted face.

“ _Yuck_. Never smoke again. It might become a deal-breaker here.”

“I can't help it. It's in my ecto-slime.” Mona mumbled.

“Yeah, right.”

They were quiet for a minute after that.

“... Um... On the anniversary, can you call me? So I can come over?”

Mona looked up. “Why? You aren't really planning on _celebrating_ this fucked up game, are you?”

“No. That was the day we met.”

... Oh. That's right. It was, wasn't it?

A year since the game started and everything turned upside-down.

A year since she first met a frosty, cold-hearted and bitter girl wielding a frying pan.

That meant six months since she thawed the girl out enough to become friends.

Three since they'd sheepishly admitted to each other after some prompting from Liu that they wanted to be more than friends.

“... Yeah. Okay.”

“It's a date, then?”

“Yeah. A date.”


End file.
